Of particular relevance are the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/296,469, filed on Nov. 15, 2011 and directed to a device having built-in digital data means and powered by an unlimited power source for a lamp holder, and Ser. No. 13/295,301, also filed on Nov. 15, 2011 and directed to a device having built-in digital data means and powered by an unlimited power source for a light device.
Also of particular relevance are the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/806,285, which discloses an LED night light having multiple functions, and Ser. No. 12/951,501, which discloses a lamp holder having a built-in LED light.
The current invention involves an LED light, which may be in the form of a night light, bulb, lamp holder, or other LED illumination device, and which has built-in digital device(s) with digital data record, storage, and display functions for digital sound, messages, photos, movies, films, audio, video, etc.
Current home security products available in the marketplace, and especially wireless home security products, are very expensive. Furthermore, not only are they too costly, they are also too much trouble to install (may need engineer to help) and the batteries or power storage means must be replaced very often.
To solve the problem of frequent battery or storage means replacement, the current invention utilizes an unlimited power source provided by an alternating current (AC) electrical outlet into which built-in prong means are plugged or to which a screw base is connected, and includes circuit means converting the AC power to direct current (DC) power.
In addition, the current invention incorporates a low cost, super compact Digital Video (DV) device (hereafter as DV), which is built-into the said LED light to solve the problems of high cost and difficult installation, eliminating the need to hire professional engineers at high cost per hours and saving wasted time in waiting for an installation appointment. The current invention can transmit digital data from the digital camera to the display unit while receiving unlimited power directly from built-in prong means in the DV camera or from a screw base connected with an AC power source with circuit means to provide unlimited DC power.
The current invention preferably also provides a DV device having a camera and display screen in one unit so that there is no need for transmission by wireless means.
Because the DV camera is built into the unlimited power device, and may including an LED light, LED bulb, lamp holder, or other LED illumination device), the invention offers excellent home security. One advantage is that a bad man into and cannot easily find the DV camera from among a variety of device(s) such as lamp holders on the wall or ceiling, offering the best safety record to protect home and family at any time.
In a preferred embodiment of the current invention, the DV camera can include an endless recording that overwrites past digital data so that it will always update new data without the need to change any storage means, so long as the initial installation is selected for certain hours of recording and certain minutes for the storage section.
The preferred DV device may have the most advanced technical features and functions available from the marketplace, which may include any combination of a (F1) wide Angle or telescope lens assembly and fine pixel/HD (1280×720 Pixel)/VGA (720×480 pixels)/good display screen (320×240 pixels) with a light weight, rechargeable batteries, and anywhere from 1.3M up to 12M or more pixels to provide VGS or HD video or ISO selection; (F2) auto focus/tilt/rotating/moving/scan functions; (F3) a motion sensor by PIR means; (F4) a motion sensor by screen detection; (F5) a night vision selection; (F6) auto power shut-off; (F7) power saving; (F8) built-in screen; (F9) USB means for data delivery; (F10) remote control means; (F11) wireless data transfer to a remote cellular phone/computer/communication device(s); (F12) auto dialing to a police station; (F13) auto tracking of moving object(s) from ants to elephants or other live objects; (F14) other light means/device(s); (F15) other wireless/remote/IR sensor/PIR sensor/motor(s) features; (F16) any other electric or mechanical functions available from the marketplace for a digital camera or digital video recorder. Any or all such features may be selected and incorporated with the preferred DV device to make sure people can see, know, and watch the desired site/events at any location/place/time.
The DV device may have a plurality of cameras to provide multiple images that can be shown on a screen so as to monitor multiple areas. It will also be appreciated that the DV device can incorporate an IC chip and related circuitry, motor-means, and a motion-sensor with more than one sensor heads to allow a single camera head with auto tracking functions to follow moving objects.
A preferred embodiment of the built-in DV device of the current invention includes an LED bulb and lamp holder to provide an LED Bulb, night light, or security light which has prong-means or socket-means to connect to an unlimited power source which directly supplies current, or to a rechargeable power storage-means such as a rechargeable battery, and which does not require any other separate means such as wire(s), adaptor(s), or transformer(s) to deliver electricity from the unlimited power source to the LED device and built-in digital data device. Furthermore, the unlimited power source may use prong means, a socket base lamp holder, and conductive means which do not have a male-female connector construction on the device housing, or a USB-cable that directly comes out of the device housing, or a regular 120 Volt 60 Hz plug wire that directly comes out of the device housing and connects with the public electricity system for home, house, and public areas. One of the best applications for the current invention is as a webcam that can be used for all kinds of computer, laptop, phone, or communication equipment. Conventional webcams are limited in that they cannot follow moving people or objects so people have to sit in front of the webcam to talk with people. The embodiment of the current invention that provides a USB-cabled LED Bulb with a camera head having an auto tracking assembly will make an excellent auto-tracking webcam to let people freely move while talking with other parties.
Another preferred feature is to include foldable or retractable prongs so that the device can be carried anywhere. The current invention may have different constructions that provide an LED night light with a built-in digital data device capable of being moved and used anywhere, including a car, motorcycle, boat, bus, truck, or other transportation equipment available in the marketplace so long as the foldable or push-in/push-out prong-means is incorporated with a proper receiving-means and adaptor-means to connect with a transportation cigarette lighter device.
Furthermore, the DV may have a variety of functions, parts, and accessories to get desired functions. The DV device parts and accessories may be selected from different camera heads, kits, lenses, optics means, assembly night vision means, means for detecting motion by image screen or motion sensor, vibration sensors, sound sensors, storage means, SD cards, Mini SD cards, memory sticks, memory means, operation functions, power saving circuits, screen touch panels, exposure means, and/or motor means, as well as means for adjusting or selecting clearance, pixels, sharpness, ASA, and so forth.
Another preferred embodiment of the DV device of the current invention is to add the DV device to a lamp holder and LED bulb. A majority of LED lights and lamp holders are installed at a position which is higher than people's height, so that they will easily record moving objects without any objects blocking the camera shooting directions. Furthermore, the current invention not only can provide an LED bulb or lamp holder with a DV, but also a night light that incorporates a wider angle camera lens so that it can look for moving objects from an unnoticeable position. The current invention also can apply more than one camera head with a divided image on screen to save cost or use only one camera head that incorporates more than one sensor-means and an IC circuit to calculate a position or orientation difference to delivery electric signals to a motor-means to move the camera head toward a moving object and thereby provide an auto tracking camera. Still further, any equivalent or same function will still fall within the current invention and can be added to the preferred DV devices to provide nice, clear digital data and storage into a memory-means powered by an unlimited power source without causing worry about battery power or bad electric wire installation, unlike the conventional home security equipment.
In embodiments involving a lamp holder, insert means may be provided to connect with an original lamp holder's receiving means to change the lamp holder's current, functions, current type, voltage, and features, such as changing from AC to DC at a certain voltage and amperage, adding cameras and related parts and accessories, adding LED device current triggers, adding IC chips to operate desired functions, adding a tracking motor device, adding a sensor(s), adding remote control parts and accessories, adding an infrared nighttime vision function, adding memory means with related parts and accessories, adding display means, adding transmitter means to transfer digital data to a remote distance, adding auto dialing system, and adding an internet connect function or any other electric or mechanical functions based on market requirements.
The lamp holder may be selected from market-available items, and may hold one or more light means, including any of an incandescent, fluorescent tube, PL, or LED light for use with a variety of different bases, which may be in the form of a screw base, bayonet base, two pin base, twist base, or push and twist base. The lamp holder is connected with the unlimited power source when the lamp holder's insert means is connected with the original lamp holder receiving means so that the power can be obtained from the original lamp holder's unlimited power source.
The camera means incorporated with the lamp holder of this embodiment, like the camera means of any of other embodiment, can consist of desired parts and accessories including lenses, optics means, electric means, mechanical means, circuit means, integrated circuit (IC) means, data delivery means, data storage means, USB means, cable means, microphone means, record means, display means, sensor means, PIR means, IR means, night vision means, flash means, switch means, motion detect means, sound detect means, photo sensor means, motor means, tracking means or other market available parts and accessories to allow people to get digital image, video, and audio data and record it in memory means or send/transmit the data to a communication device, computer device, receiver device, and/or display device to provide predetermined functions, effects, and performance.
According to another preferred embodiment, an LED bulb means includes a plurality of LED-units that fit within a bulb housing having an appropriate shape and dimensions, and positive and negative electric contracts to get power from the power source when the electric-contacts connect with the power source and the power source is thereby connected with the desired electric parts and accessories, which may include circuit means, IC means, conductive means, switch means, sensor means, remote control means, IR means or other electric or mechanical means to cause the LED-unit(s) and the camera means to be activated with the LED bulb and its added parts and accessories displaying the above-mentioned pre-determined function(s) and performance(s).
The LED bulb has space to install the camera means on its housing by using or together with any of the following: joint-means, rotating means, connect-means, spin-means, catch-means, a gear-set, a motor set, control means, IC means, sensor head(s), a tracking assembly, memory assembly means, display means, screen means, USB means, conductive means, digital data delivery means, battery means, rechargeable battery means, power fail means, or other means to provide the camera means built-into the LED Bulb to have desired functions, features, and performance.
The space in the LED bulb may include a pole(s), block(s), piece(s), and/or compartment(s) having properties that cause the bulb or space to be extendable, retractable, foldable, rotatable, and/or transformable so that the related parts and accessories can be installed within.
The camera means may be turned-on and turned-off by sensor means, a PIR sensor head, more than one sensor head(s), remote control means, switch means, motion detection means, vibration detection means, heat sensor means, and/or smoke detector means, so as to take photos, video, and audio and provide colorful, clear, and sharp digital data to be saved in storage means, shown on a screen, shown on a wireless screen, shown on a monitor(s), or transmitted to a communication device, computer device, Internet device, or auto dialing device.
The LED-units, camera means, sensor means, remote control means, moving LEDs, moving sensor means, moving camera means, motion detection means, heat detection means, smoke detector means, motor means, auto tracking assembly, and so forth can be installed on a fixed housing, moving housing, or extendable housing, so as to provide a desired sensor range, distance, and angle with a variety of selection options for the camera's pixels, focus range, and/or pictures per second, for video/movie and sound/audio upon activation of the camera means to shoot and store the digital data into the memory means, communication device, computer device, consumer electric device, screen, or monitor(s).
Finally, the LED Bulb may also take the form of an EL or LED Bulb selected from market available LED Bulbs such as a night light, desk lamp, floor lamp, down light, ceiling light, track light, security light, projection light, outdoor light, indoor light, LED light fixture, LED light bar, LED picture light, LED closet light, LED door light, LED garage light, LED motion sensor light, LED power failure light, LED motion sensor with auto tracking means, LED patio light, or any other LED Bulb available from the marketplace.